Rune Factory 2: A Fantasy Harvest Moon review

Talk about shaking things up

Pros

Great twist on series

Convenient quest system

Simpler farming rules

Cons

Nothing innovative control-wise

Merely serviceable graphics

Unmemorable music

The twist in Rune Factory 2 couldn%26rsquo;t shake the series up more if it were wearing knuckledusters and tearing the arms off the townsfolk. We%26rsquo;re not going to say in detail, in order to avoid any spoilers. Suffice to say that anyone who%26rsquo;s been following the Harvest Moon series will be in for a shock and a treat, making this farming-dungeon fighting-flirting RPG an essential addition to the series. And as for newcomers? It%26rsquo;ll be a delight.

The biggest change has to be the chore system. You do favors for the townsfolk in order to progress through the game %26ndash; getting new tools, the odd seed, increasing your friendship points and so on. The chores are all displayed on the town%26rsquo;s notice board, which makes this more accessible than its predecessor. You can choose when you want to run an errand, pick between the tasks, and therefore eliminate the usual RPG %26lsquo;run around, talk to everyone, wait for someone to ask you something after you%26rsquo;ve talked to them 32 times%26rsquo; thing.

Also, the farming rules are less complicated. You build up your cash by farming different areas (with different monsters to fight), and there%26rsquo;s no confusion over what to plant and when. It%26rsquo;s not dumbed down, it%26rsquo;s just more logical; it%26rsquo;s beautiful, and it works.

Nov 19, 2008

More Info

Genre

Simulation

Description

In this sequel, which starts with a welcome, if surprising change, the whole Harvest Moon style is reinvigorated.